Thailand has stepped up its efforts to fight against drug abuse. Let's now cross to our correspondent Tong Cheng, live in Bangkok.
Q1: Hello, Tony. Thailand has very strict penalties for drug crimes. But recently the government signaled a major U-turn in its drug policy, when the justice minister appeared to suggest the legalization of methamphetamine. Can you tell us more about this? And what's the public reaction?
Q2: Can you tell us what other measures has the Thai government taken to combat drug abuse in recent years?
Thai gov't steps up efforts to close drug sources
Trucks arrive at an industrial incinerator with a deadly cargo. Five thousand one hundred and thirty six kilogrammes of illegal drugs.
Security is tight, on the streets these drugs have a value of more than ten billion baht, or twenty eight million dollars. Marijuana, opiates, cocaine, but one drug in evidence more than all the others combined,
Police have now unboxed some of those illegal drugs before they piled high on the side of the stage.
Deputy Prime Minister Admiral Narong was on hand to start the ceremony and light the incinerator. But the government has come under pressure in recent weeks for a radical revision of its drug policy, after the Justice Minister announced he was considering legalizing methamphetamine.
That may have been misleading, but the change in policy is substantial.
"General Paiboon, the Justice Minister, has mentioned in an interview about the legalization of metham-phetamine. In fact, what he meant was we want to decriminalize the drug users only," said Paskorn Chaivanichsiri, frm Department of Medical Services, Health Ministry.
The seizure of huge hauls of methamphetamine pills have now become a commonplace event.
Although Thailand has some of the harshest sentences in the world for possession, it has failed to stem the flow of drugs from neighboring countries.
For the former addicts at the Ozone drop in center, the possible change in government policy is welcome news. Many have served time in jail, and feel that reducing the risk of arrest will make it easier for users to find help. And the centers managers say decriminalizing meth use free up much needed resources from law enforcement to treatment.
"The important thing is more than fifty per cent of prisoners are drug cases, and they are only drug users," said Kitti Sunthornrat, manager of Ozone Foundation Drop in Center.
Back at the incinerator, agents are still loading up the boxes of meth. The government is keen to stress that harsh penalties for trafficking will remain in place. But they concede a change of strategy is needed, before their efforts to stem the flow of drugs goes up in smoke.
